


Boys on the Side

by Emilys_List



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, Challenge Response, Drabble, Drama, F/F, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-09-19
Updated: 2004-09-19
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:37:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilys_List/pseuds/Emilys_List
Summary: Josh gets a stern talking-to.





	Boys on the Side

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Boys on the Side**

**by: emily's list**

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Amy/Donna  
**Category(s):** Angst, Drama, Friendship  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Summary:** Josh gets a stern talking-to.  
**Author's Note:** Janel/MLP titles (for Amy/Donna Shippers) 

Donna pounds on his door - the hour be damned. 

She glances at her watch again. Three AM. 

He used to respond to my calls, she thinks. 

When he finally wanders to the door, he opens it wordlessly in defeat. He stands there for a moment as she walk to his couch and sits. He puts his head down, shutting the door. "I was sleeping, Donna. What do you need?" 

"I was just in the neighborhood," she says, shrugging off her coat. Donna drapes the garment carefully over the back of his sofa. 

He fights the impulse to knock her coat to the floor. Instead, he sits in a chair that is far away from her without being at an impolite distance. 

Josh slouches in his chair, folding his hands across his stomach. And he waits. 

"We're having trouble," she says, her eyes falling sideways and fixing on yesterday's newspaper. She knew she couldn't look at him, not right now. 

"I don't... I don't know what to say, and I don't want to... I have a meeting tomorrow at seven with Leo, I should probably--" 

"No, you don't." 

"I scheduled it without you." 

"No, you didn't." 

He hates that it's easier to lie to other women. 

"Josh," she says, her voice strained. She finally looks up, and their wounded eyes lock. "I'm sorry. So sorry." She smoothed her ponytail nervously. "I know you don't want to talk about this." The corners of her mouth lift as she attempts a smile. "You're my best friend. I need to talk about this with you." 

He closes his eyes, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know if I can verbalize my discomfort on this subject." Softly, he continues, "But go ahead anyway. I'll listen." 

She's surprised by his willingness, and takes it as a sign of good things to come. 

"Amy moved out," she finally says, releasing those words into the air. She hadn't yet spoken them until now. 

"She moved in a week ago," he says matter-of-factly. As if it was just an issue of time with Amy - sooner or later, she would always combust. 

Donna was still taking a moment to process the words, "Amy moved out." She tests them out in her mind, but hearing them aloud made it final. 

She's trying to decide if she feels like crying or not. 

When Donna realizes what Josh said, she can't hold a small sob back. "I know," she says, shaking her head. "Everything felt so sudden and rushed and... beautiful." She toys with her ponytail. "She's very difficult to live with, don't you think?" 

Josh sighs. "I didn't live with her." 

"Oh, right. I mean, I love waking up with her. I love making dinner and falling asleep on the couch... and... other things." As much as she wants to share, she realizes that boundaries must also exist. "It was becoming so comfortable. I love that feeling, don't you?" 

He nods, numb. 

"And then she moved in, and it was hell." Donna puts her hands to her face. 

He watches her carefully, his arms twitching to reach out to her. He finds that he can't touch her anymore, not even in a playful way. His hand shift up to grab at his biceps. 

Her hands slip off her face, falling into her lap. "I should go," she says, determined, yet she makes no move to leave. 

"Donna, what do you want from me?" 

"Tell me to stay," she says simply. 

"So you can go into Chapter two of the Amy/Donna saga? I don't think I'm up for that tonight." He winces after he stops speaking. 

She's hurt - clearly - but this isn't the first time he's been verbally cruel. She shakes her head, and holds back her tears. "If you love me, if you love me at all, you'll be my friend through this." 

"I don't lo--" 

"I don't mean..." Donna gets up, walking towards his window. "I love you. You're an important person in my life." She touches the smooth, cold glass of the window pane. "You love me, too, in that way. I need you to just buckle down. Be here for me." 

"It's not that easy." 

"Do you think this is easy?" She turns around, leaning her back against the nearest wall. "I'm in love. I'm hurting. And I'm... I'm laying it all out for you because I need you. I need you stop making this about you, because you're not involved. It's me and it's her." 

"You're in love?" he asks. He didn't know that. 

She nods miserably. "I hate this," she says quietly. "She became so elemental. I don't know what to do anymore." 

He stands up, heading for her. Josh puts his arms around her and holds Donna tightly. He closes his eyes as she says, "I love her and this feels like death." She moves her arms around his neck. 

"Thanks," she mumbles into his shoulder. He grips her tighter. 

"I know this isn't about me. To my credit, I do know that. I'm just used to... this... being about me." 

Donna recedes from his embrace, her back going against the wall again. "Why do you still wear those huge pajamas?" 

He looks down. "I'm really not sure." Then, "Donna. I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. It's not that I'm not giving you advice, I just... don't have any." 

She reaches out to touch his heart through his pajamas. "You're a good man," she says, walking towards his couch. "I think I'm going to try to sleep." As she pulls on her coat, she looks away. "Could I.. call? If I--" 

"Okay," he says, hoping his voice is full of certainty. 

He walks her to the door. "Get some sleep," he advises as she leaves. He watches her walk away. 

When he calls out, "I am here," she turns around to smile at him.


End file.
